Pillow block bearing



K. w. STRUNK 2,479,791

PILLOW BLOCK BEARING Aug. 23% 3949.

Filed June lO, 1946 2 sheets-Slheet l PILLOW BLOCK BEARING Filed June l0, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wfg@ Patented Aug. 23, 1949 UNITED STATES. PATENT ortica Kenneth W; Strunk, bak Park, Illi; Y o Application. June 1o, 1946, seri-a1 Namaste,

1 This invention relates to a new andimproved pillow block bearing'and has for one of its principal objectsthe provision; of a sheet metal fabricated bearing` housing.V

An important,v object, of this invention is the provision of a twofpiece sheet metal housing for shaft mountings of the pillow block type wherein the two housing parts complement each other in a manner to' properly support a shaft bearing.

A further important, object. of this invention is to provide a Seli-aligning pillow block bearing of the sheetV meta-l housing; type;

A still further; object: ofv this invention is the provision of a two-piece sheet metal housing clinched together in a ,manner to form a full annular socket for; a, ball-type inner ring.

Another and further important object of this invention is to provide a pillow blockbearing selflubricated, from a` reservoir provided therein.

Stilll another object of the invention is to provide a method of forming and assembling aV sheet metal pillow blockbearing housing.

Other andfurther important objects of this invention willbecome apparent from the disclosures in the following` specification and accompanying drawings, in which;v l

Figure 1 is airontelev'ational view of the pillow block, bearing ofthis invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the bearing as shown in Figure 1. A

Figure 3` is a top plan view of. the bearing as shown in Figuresi andi?.k

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 1 v Figure 5 is aplan view o f a portion of the pillow block bearing housing. prior to forming.

Figure 6 is a plan view o i the complementary portion of the bearing housing. Y

Figure 7 shows thewformed housing members mounted on an assembly die and being clinched` together. A

As shown in the drawings: A The reference. numeral I I) 4indicates generally a pillow bloclg bearing outer housing; The housing consists of -astrap member I I formed in sub-` stantially invertedA Ufhape and having outwardly bent iiangesl I 2 and4I3 at the. bottom thereof, an upright U-shapetie strap I4 having outwardlvinclined, legs joining the legs or side portions I tiand I6;of the -Ugshaped strap II'. The '0WD hQuSng. mempes. .,land, .UiqmbinefQ form a fullV annular socket foraninner ringrnember I'I. The inner surface of the annular socket is oo ncave andthe outer annular surface. of the ring` the outer housing [Il a ball and socket joint. 4Asbest shownin Figure 4` a sleevelike bearing journal I 8- is held within and extends slightly beyondl the ESi'eslof the ringy I1. A shaft I9 is journaled within4 webenring I8. Y Pillow block bearings are; primarily used for the journaling of s hfainting- ,r and often 4 times it impossible to overcomaslight xiii'salignments in shafting.` If rigid pillow block bearings were employed where. the .Shaftwasnot in perfect axial alignment, the result. woulclbelat binding ofthe shaft within the bearing'. .The Seli-aligning characteristics of this invention are' therefore quite' important, and when, tliedevioe is Viewed as in Figure 4 it willbe.. evident that.any tnisalignments in the shaft I9 may be compensated for directly` by the ring I'I.- movinglwthin. the housing Il to. a new center OaIignrnent. l

The ring I'I` is provided with; aninner annular groove 20'coristituting? a. lubricant reservoir in which a lubricating wick ,2| i s placed. As best shown in Figures and 'l, thesleevejournal I8 is provided with i Qutfout porti'rill'l which, perits the @ilw'vk ,2 lieehi in. qntaetwith the shaft |,9 and thliS, lifl th. Shaft Within the. journal I8. v

.AS be`.,St'..ShQWn..n,iS1irel .find 4. en 011 @up 23 apres-:med .umnareaa1-hq1 24 inthe flies. I1. .eiheg' frein lili lubricant reservoir t0 the eierief surface@ he? Oil @up is 0f the type having activer 25; maintainedin closed position by* a springwhinge Lubricant such as oil is putin the cup 23 throu -the top thereoi and enters theinn1`- airinularv ch` b "er 20 within the ring' 1 pheieupgsekiiig the wick 2| which imparts lbricart'tth'slfaft Asbest 'sh'wriin Figi-ir S; theoutr strap I I `of the sheet An'ietal housing lil 'is provided witliapertures 21, z8, 2s, so; ana 31. Tri apertures 2,1l and 3f are use for fastening the pillow meek bearing to some1 stationary object. Further. these apertures 21 and 3 I are' usd, as Cs'h'o'wn in Figure' 7; to assistiti centering the housing on the clinch-l ing dies. The aperture 29 is* positioned at the top and center' of the housing I0 and as shown in Figure t permits the` oil cup 23 to pass there` through with sufcientxci'earanc around th pe-V riphery thereof 'so that thfbearing may be self-- aligning;

The remaining two aperturesI 28: and 30 are keyhole in shape. The circular Aportions 32 andi 3.3 of the` keyhole apertures arefsiinlar in size` to the central aperturel 29y and are used for the same purpose.' In many cases the shaft journal ofthis memb Il is coi'zxso thatv the ring I' within invention: is` noteruploveci in, a; standing position bers 36 and 3'I on the outwardly inclined legs-g,-V

of tie strap I4 as best shown in Figure V6. The tie strap is also provided with an aperture 38 to receive the passage of an oil cup therethrough when the bearing is in an inverted position from that shown in Figure 1. In addition to the single function, the aperture 38 is also employed to i. center the tie strap III within the clinching jig or die. as shown in, Figure '7. A A

YAs shownA in Figure"7,A an important Dart Yof this inventionnis'the assembly of the, housing members II' and I4., A supportingdie or jig 39 is providedwith an upper surface contour identical in shapeto'the under surface of the pillow blocknb'earingrof thi'sinvention. The housing member, I I "isj centered, andY maintained in position on the die,3 9ibyrprojections 4!) and 4I on the die extending'fup into theapertures 2l and 3i, respectively. j* The tie strap I4 has its tongue portions `36 `a nd `31 inserted through the square portions 34 and 35 ofthe apertures 2B and 30 in thesupportingstrap I I. ,A center projection 42 extends up into the' aperture 38 in the tie strap I4 andwith the aid of upwardly projecting portions II3 ;and 4lI maintains the tie strap It in fixed relationship with respectto thersupporting strap II. YIn order to clinch the members I I and Iii together, the tonguenmembers and 3'I are bent downA overfthe outside ofthe side members I5 and I 6, respectively, vof the supporting strap II. HThis is accomplished by an upper die or jig member 45 having ,downwardly extending bending members 46. and 41 which Contact the tongue members 36 and 31, respectively. This upper die 45 is Athen brought downunder pressure, causing the tongues 36 and 31 to bend downwardly and back over the lower edges 43 and 49 of the apertures ,28 and`30, respectively.. During assembly of the housing membersl I and I4, the'fring member I'I-, the oil-wick 2'I`, andthe sleeve journal I8 are all positioned therewithin so that when the clinching voperation is completed the assembly is completewith theexception ofthe insertion of the oil cup 23., Afterclinching ofthe tongue members 36 and 31 all the bearing members are held in xed position with respectto each other; permitting rotational movement only between the ring-I1 and the annular concave housing I0. The Ysubject bearing -eliminates the massive weight and volumejoi. the ordinary cast pillow block'bearings and makes more effective the sheet metal housing by the particular clinching of the two portions that go to form the housing. In the present case, once the tongue members 36 and 31 are driven homeby the forming jig I5 there is no possibility of the'bearing becoming distorted or the assembly becoming loose inasmuch as there are no. pins or'otherlocking members on which the assembly relies. 1

Numerousfdetails of construction may be'varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles" disclosed herein, and I therefore do not propose limiting the: patent granted hereon .4 otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A pillow block type of shaft mounting including a ring member having an outer convex annular surface, a supporting strap having an inner concave annular surface partially surrounding said ring member, said supporting strap having outwardly extendingflanges, a tie strap forming a fullycomplementary' portion to said supporting strap and completing the full annular snug surrounding of said ring member, said supporting strap having openings in the sides thereof, saidtie` strap having integral tongue members at Veach end extending upwardly through and clinched down and over the openings in the supporting'strap at a position closely adjacent said ring member, and a shaft Supporting bearing positioned within said ring member, whereby the bearing after assembly is self-aligning and rigid in construction 'and resists inward or outward collapsing of said? supporting strap. Y 2. A pillow bloclc'bearing comprising a housing including an inverted U-shaped supporting strap having substantially vertical side members with outwardly 'bent flanges at the bottom thereof, an upright U-shape tie strap havingloutwardly inclined legs extending between and maintaining the vertical side members of the inverted U-shaped strap iixedly spaced apart and combining with said inverted U-shaped supporting strap to form a full snug annular socket, said supporting strap having opposed openings in the legs of the inverted U, 'and said tie strap having integralV tongues at the upper end of each of the outwardly inclined legs, said'tonguesY passing upwardly and outwardly through-and bent down over the lowerY edges of thev openings in the legs ofthe supporting strap, and a shaft bearingv carried within saidV housing and closely supported around its full peripheryby said'housing. I

3. A self-aligning pillow block type of shaft mounting including a shaft bearing, aringimember carrying said shaft bearing and having a convex outer annular surface, a sheet metal housing for said ring member comprising an inverted Uy-shaped supporting strap with vertical legs having a concave inne;` surface adapted to extend substantially around said ring memberY and having aligned openings in theU-legs anda ftie strap havin'g'a'concave surface complementing said U-shaped supportingstrap `and completing the fullannular snug surrounding of vsaid ring member, andnmeans for locking said housing members together, saidf means includingupwardly and outwardly extending tongue members on the ends of said tiel strap and projecting through the aligned openingsin the U-legs, said tie strap tongues having ntheir ends'bent over the lower edges of the Valigned openings-in the-supporting strap and lying vertically and parallel with said vertical legs.

LA self-aligning pillow block type of shaft mounting including a shaft bearing, a ring member carrying said shaft bearing and having a convex outer annular surface, a formed sheet metal housing for said ring member comprising a U-shaped supporting strap having a concave inner surface adapted to extend substantially around said ring member and having aligned openings in the U-leg's, a tie strap having a concave surface fully complementing said U-shaped supporting strap and completing the snug surrounding oi said ring member, said tie strap having tongue members at each end thereof passing ings.

KENNETH W. STRUNK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Himes Oct. 16, 1928 Young Oct. 7, 1941 Searles Jan. 20, 1942 Whiteley Nov. 3, 1942 

